Tailgate tales: Champaign, Ill., is a musical hotbed

Sure, the University of Illinois boasts a lot of old guys who won Nobel Prizes, such as Paul C. Lauterbur. His work led to the development of the MRI.

However, we prefer the intriguing and the off-beat, like how the Illini boast the largest Greek system in the world and more than 1,000 student organizations, including the Chinese mahjong club.

Even better is the university's home, Champaign, Ill.

Famous town sons and daughters include Olympic gold medal-winning speed skater Bonnie Blair, CBS News correspondent Bill Geist, political columnist George Will and the beloved Jimmy John, founder of the sandwich shop by the same name.

But, if anything, Champaign has become a musical power broker of sorts.

Bob Dylan actually wrote two songs titled "Champaign, Illinois." He did one with Carl Perkins, though it is unclear the exact motivation for either.

Champaign also was the site of the first Farm Aid concert in 1985, drawing 80,000 fans to Memorial Stadium and raising more than $7 million for American family farmers.